Executive Director, Commercial Counsel

Xenon Pharmaceuticals; Needham (MA); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 420,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Disability benefits

Life insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Travel insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation

End-of-year shutdown

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Xenon Pharmaceuticals is seeking an Executive Director, Commercial Counsel to lead strategic legal partnership across Xenon’s commercial organization as it advances toward launch readiness. You will counsel on brand strategy, promotions, payer interactions, and regulatory compliance to enable growth while managing enterprise risk.

The role is based in the Boston/Needham area with a hybrid schedule (2–3 days in office) and reports to the Vice President, Legal & Compliance.

Qualifications

• JD and active bar membership in good standing (US jurisdiction).
• Minimum 15 years legal experience, incl. 10+ years in pharma/biotech.
• Strong knowledge of US healthcare/pharma regulatory environment (FDA, OIG, DOJ, FTC).
• Ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a matrix environment.

Responsibilities

• Advise cross-functional brand leadership on legal/regulatory implications of brand strategy.
• Support transition from clinical to commercial with launch-readiness focus.
• Partner with Commercial, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Corporate Affairs.
• Interpret FDA, FCA, Anti-Kickback Statute, and privacy laws.
• Counsel on interactions with HCPs, payers and patient groups.
• Lead MLR review framework with other leaders.
• Advise on advertising, promotion, and social media compliance.
• Support design of customer-facing commercial capabilities with risk-based counsel.
• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial/MAM agreements.
• Monitor evolving healthcare laws and provide proactive guidance.
• Develop and deliver training on legal issues.
• Counsel on payer engagement, price reporting, patient support; manage outside counsel.
• Work with Compliance to align risk-based advice.
• Improve commercial legal processes and governance.
• Comply with Code of Conduct; travel may be required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Executive leadership

Regulatory expertise

Contract negotiation

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Active US bar

15+ years legal experience

Job description

Who We Are:

Xenon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XENE) is a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to drug discovery, clinical development, and commercialization of life-changing therapeutics for patients in need. We are looking for great people who thrive in a respectful, collaborative, inclusive, and productive culture to join the Xenon team.

What We Do:

We are advancing an exciting product pipeline to address indications with high unmet medical need, including epilepsy, depression and pain. Our Phase 3 azetukalner program represents the most advanced, clinically validated potassium channel modulator in late-stage clinical development for multiple indications. In March 2026, we announced positive topline data from our Phase 3 X-TOLE2 study of azetukalner in focal onset seizures (FOS), and we submitted a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter of 2026. Our Phase 3 epilepsy program also includes a second FOS study, X-TOLE3, which would support regulatory submissions outside the U.S., and the X-ACKT study in primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which would support regulatory submissions for an additional epilepsy indication. We also have multiple Phase 3 azetukalner clinical trials underway in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depression (BPD), based on topline data from our Phase 2 X-NOVA clinical trial. In addition, we are proud of our strong heritage in human genetics, deep understanding of ion channel biology, and expertise in novel chemistries to enable potent, selective ion channel targeting. We continue to advance an early-stage pipeline of novel therapeutic candidates, including Phase 1 studies for XEN1701 and XEN1720 (targeting Nav1.7) and XEN1120 (targeting Kv7), which are being developed for pain. Backed by a strong balance sheet to support our growth plans, we continue to build a fully integrated, premier neuroscience company with strong discovery, clinical development, corporate, and commercial operations.

About the Role:

We are seeking an Executive Director, Commercial Counsel to serve as a senior legal leader and strategic partner to Xenon’s rapidly evolving commercial organization. As Xenon advances toward commercialization, this individual will provide strategic legal leadership across brand strategy, commercialization and launch readiness, partnering closely with senior leaders across Commercial, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Corporate Affairs, Regulatory, Compliance and other functions.

The Executive Director will anticipate and address complex legal and regulatory issues associated with building and operating a commercial-stage organization, translate evolving legal requirements into pragmatic business solutions, and help establish scalable approaches, governance and legal capabilities that enable Xenon’s long-term commercial strategy while appropriately managing enterprise risk. This position reports to the Vice President, Legal & Compliance and will be based out of Boston, MA, USA in our Needham office. This is a hybrid position requiring 2-3 days in the office per week. We will consider remote locations for exceptional candidates. The level of the position will be commensurate with the candidate’s education and industry experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as senior legal counsel to cross-functional brand leadership, participating in early strategic planning and advising on the legal and regulatory implications of brand strategy, disease awareness, promotional strategy, scientific exchange, and external engagement.

• Provide strategic legal leadership supporting Xenon’s transition from a clinical-stage to commercial-stage organization, proactively identifying legal, regulatory and operational considerations associated with launch readiness and building scalable approaches to support the evolving commercial model.

• Serve as strategic legal business partner to all customer-facing functions, including Commercial, Market Access, Medical Affairs, and Corporate Affairs.

• Interpret and apply federal and state laws, such as the FDCA, FCA, Anti-Kickback Statute, and privacy laws.

• Counsel on appropriate interactions with healthcare professions, payers, patients, and patient advocacy groups.

• Provide senior legal leadership for Xenon’s promotional and non-promotional review framework, including complex or novel issues arising through MLR review, partnering with Medical, Regulatory, Compliance and Commercial leaders to establish effective, scalable review practices as the organization prepares for launch.

• Counsel on advertising, promotion, social media, and scientific exchange compliance.

• Serve as a strategic legal partner in the design and evolution of customer-facing commercial capabilities, including field activities, speaker programs and patient support programs, providing risk-based counsel that supports business objectives within applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of agreements relevant to Commercial, Market Access and Medical Affairs-led initiatives.

• Monitor evolving healthcare laws and regulations, anticipate legal issues associated with evolving brand strategy, and offering proactive, practical, and timely guidance on emerging issues and risks.

• Develop and deliver training for business partners on legal issues.

• Counsel on issues related to payer engagement, government price reporting, and patient support services, including managing outside counsel as needed.

• Work closely with Compliance team colleagues to ensure aligned, risk-based advice is provided to business partners.

• Identify opportunities to improve commercial legal processes, governance and operating models, including appropriate use of external counsel and technology.

• Comply with all Xenon policies and procedures, including the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

• Some travel may be required.

• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active bar membership in good standing (U.S. jurisdiction required).

• Minimum 15 years of legal experience, including at least 10 years in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry or at a law firm focused on healthcare/life sciences areas.

• Strong knowledge of the U.S. healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotech regulatory environment (FDA, OIG, DOJ, FTC).

• Demonstrated ability to effectively balance legal risk with business objectives.

• Excellent communication, drafting, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• Demonstrated experience serving as a senior legal advisor to Commercial and/or brand leadership within the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry.

• Significant experience supporting commercialization and launch readiness for pharmaceutical products.

• Extensive experience advising on FDA promotional requirements, healthcare fraud and abuse considerations, scientific exchange and interactions with HCPs and patients.

• Demonstrated ability to advise senior executives on complex, high-impact business and legal decisions.

• Experience building or evolving commercial legal capabilities, processes or governance models in a growing organization.

• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead across a complex matrix without relying on formal authority.

• Strong business acumen and the ability to translate legal complexity into practical, risk-based business recommendations.

• Experience managing external counsel and specialized legal resources.

• Direct experience supporting in-house commercial, medical affairs, and market access functions.

• Federal and state privacy law expertise.

• Prior participation in MLR (medical, legal, regulatory) review committees.

• Experience with digital health, social media, and emerging technologies in the pharma industry.

Our Total Rewards program includes base salary, target bonus, and stock options, as well as a full range of benefits including medical, dental, vision, short-& long-term disability, accidental death & dismemberment, and life insurance programs, Employee Assistance Program, travel insurance, and retirement savings programs with company matching contributions.

Xenon encourages time to rest and re-charge through vacation, personal days, sick days, and an end-of-year company shutdown. Xenon highly values employee development and has an expanding Training, Learning & Development program, including a Tuition Assistance program for advanced degrees.